Family Ties
by Center of the Galaxy
Summary: "Family isn't just connected by blood, Peter," Natasha told him with a small smile on her lips. "A family is a bunch of people who will always be there to help you, who will always look out for you." After Aunt May lands in the hospital, Peter is forced to move into the Avengers tower for a bit and slowly, the teenager begins to find a home with the team. *Superfamily, no slash!*
1. Two Months

_**Author's Note: **__I'll admit it; I'm in love with the concept of "Superfamily". I find it totally adorable and wonderful and I could honestly go on about it all day. That being said, this story takes the concept of "Superfamily" and tweaks it a bit. There will be no slash and probably no pairings. I really want this story to focus on how the Avengers are like a makeshift family and how Peter fits into that family. I hope you'll enjoy!_

* * *

_"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."_

_—Richard Bach_

* * *

"Mr. Parker?" He rose from his seat in the waiting room and held his breath, trying to decode what the doctor's expression meant. The doctor smiled at him kindly and motioned for Peter to follow him. The two entered a small conference room and the doctor sat down. Peter followed suit and waited as the older man glanced over what had to be May's file.

"How's my aunt?" His voice was tinged with worry. The phone call had come during 5th period advanced mathematics. The principal himself had walked into the classroom and called him out, explaining that there had been an accident and his aunt was currently in surgery.

"Well, the surgery was a success," The doctor explained and a weight lifted off the teenager's shoulders. "She was lucky that she was wearing her seat belt." Peter nodded, processing nothing more than the words "success" and "lucky".

"Can I see her?" He was suddenly filled with this sheer desire to see his aunt and prove to himself that she really was all right.

"Yes, but there is something I need to discuss with you first," The doctor shifted uncomfortably and fear suddenly filled the pit of Peter's stomach. "While your aunt will make a full recovery, it'll take time." Peter nodded, wondering what the problem was. "And I'd like to keep her in the hospital for awhile."

"How long?"

"Two months."

"Two months?" Peter echoed. "All because of a drunk driver hitting her?"

"Her injuries, while not life-threatening, were severe and it's not just that," The doctor mumbled. "It's just . . . Peter, your aunt's immune system is weak. All the stress from your uncle's death, I believe it took a toll on her physically. I would like to monitor her here until all her injuries are healed and all signs of infection have past.

"What exactly happened to her?" Peter questioned. "I know she was in a car accident, but no one would tell me anything else."

"A few fractured ribs, a concussion, numerous lesions, and bruises," The doctor listed. "Nothing too serious, but combined they can cause problems." The teenager frowned and ran a hand through his hair, trying to process everything that had been thrown onto his plate.

"Can I see her, please?" His voice was soft, mixed with fear and guilt—fear that his aunt would get worse and guilt over not being able to prevent the accident. He was Spider-Man for God's sake! He could have done something to help her!

"There's one more thing we need to cover first," The doctor added and Peter waited expectantly. "Since you are a minor, you can't stay alone in your aunt's house without a guardian. Is there someone you can stay with?"

"Yes." He lied. His parents and uncle were dead and he had no ties to other family members, but he wasn't about to let this doctor know that. The last thing Peter needed was to be put in some stranger's care.

"Good," The doctor smiled, like he had solved everyone's problems. "Then, right this way." They exited the conference room and proceeded down a long, white hallway. "Here, we are." He opened the door to an impersonal room that smelled of antiseptic.

"Oh, Peter, honey," His aunt was sitting up on her bed, bruises darkening her face and arms and a white bandage wrapped around her head. She smiled softly at him and Peter instantly bolted to her bedside. "You okay?"

"Am I okay?" Peter mumbled, surprised. "Aunt May, you were in a car accident! How do you feel? Can I do something?"

"No, Peter," His aunt replied, relief evident in her eyes. "I'm fine."

"What happened?" Peter questioned, grabbing his aunt's hand and holding it between his own.

"Honestly, I don't remember," May confessed. "It all happened so quickly. I was driving one second and then . . ." Her eyes flashed with pain and she winced. Peter cursed himself silently for bringing this upon his aunt. She squeezed his hand and after a few seconds, the pain vanished. "I'm sorry, Peter, I just can't remember."

"It's okay," Peter soothed. "It'll all be okay, Aunt May. Just focus on getting better." She nodded and he grinned at her, trying to mask his worry behind a façade that she wouldn't be able to see through.

"Peter, the doctor said something about you having to stay with someone—"

"It's fine," He lied. "I've got it all covered. You don't have to worry about it."

"Okay," She mumbled, exhaustion clearly getting the best of her. Her eyelids began to droop and Peter held her hand even tighter. He was alone in this world—all he had left was his aunt and if he were to lose her too, he was sure that he wouldn't survive. How much more did he have to lose?

"Mr. Parker?" A nurse stood in the doorway. "Your aunt needs to rest." He nodded his head and pressed a kiss onto her hand before reluctantly leaving the room. Wandering the seemingly endless halls, Peter tried to clear his mind. Aunt May was alive—at the end of the day that was all that mattered. Anything else, he could handle, except for the finding a guardian to take care of him. He had no family, no friends—there was no one that could take him in. What was he supposed to do for two months? He could lie, conjure up some make-believe cousin to take him in, but if anyone tried to follow up on that, they'd certainly find out that Peter was being dishonest. He could ask Gwen, but her family was still dealing with the loss of her father and he didn't want to be a burden to them. So, here he was, out of options and frantically trying to figure something out.

"Peter Parker," A voice called and he froze in his tracks. A man in a black leather jacket and with an eye patch stepped out from one of the rooms. "We need to talk."

"You are?" He challenged, body ready in case this guy turned out to be a villain or something along those lines.

"Nick Fury," He stated. "Director of SHIELD. We need to talk, Mr. Parker. Or do you prefer being called Spider-Man?"

It looked like things were going to become a lot more complicated.

* * *

Peter wasn't sure how exactly it had happened, but somehow, he had gone from the hospital's hallways to the lobby of the Avengers' building. He was actually here waiting to speak with Iron Man himself, Tony Stark. It was almost a surreal dream—one too good to be true—and yet, a glance to his side confirmed that this was real. Nick Fury's cold gaze surveyed the room with what was clearly distaste in his eyes, almost as if he didn't approve of how extravagant this whole building was. It was slightly amusing to see the fearless Director of SHIELD being forced to wait around for the billionaire.

Fury had cornered him in the hospital and revealed that he knew he was Spider-Man and knew of his situation. He offered him a proposition: train with the Avengers for two months or be constantly monitored by SHIELD agents and relocated to a SHIELD base. The choice hadn't been hard to make, especially considering the way Fury had phrased it. Frankly, the teenager didn't want to risk being on Fury's bad side by not agreeing to stay with the Avengers. So, here they were, waiting to see if Tony Stark would accept Peter into the Avengers.

"Stark!" Fury shouted at the ceiling and Peter wondered what exactly he was doing. "I'm not a patient man!"

"_Mr. Stark is on his way, sir."_

"Whoa," Peter jumped, startled by the computerized voice. "Is that JARVIS, Stark's AI?" Fury ignored him.

"_Please remain—"_

"Oh, Fury," Tony Stark appeared in the lobby, appearing slightly annoyed as he interrupted the mechanical voice. "You still here? I was hoping you'd be gone by now." Peter tried not to appear totally star-struck, but here was _the_ Iron Man in front of him. Tony Stark had been his idol when he had been younger and it was partly because of Stark, that Peter had gotten into science.

"This is Peter Parker," Fury introduced and Peter quickly sprung up from his chair. "I want him to stay here in the tower for the next two months." Tony eyed him and the teenager extended his hand.

"This is Spider-Man?" Tony questioned as his eyes glanced over Peter. "Bit scrawny, isn't he?"

"Um, hi." Peter mumbled, awkwardly putting his hand down when he realized he wasn't getting a handshake.

"Look, Fury, you can't just barge in here and expect—" Fury glared at him murderously, but Tony didn't back down. Peter was impressed. He didn't know much about Nick Fury or SHIELD, but from what he had heard, Fury wasn't a person you would want to mess around with.

"Stark, don't make me—" He interrupted.

"Like I'm scared of you," Tony said with a smirk. "So, you wanna join the Avengers, huh?" Peter nodded his head.

"Well, I, um, didn't have much of a choice . . ." His voice trailed off and the teenager wished he wasn't so socially awkward. He must've looked like an idiot in front of his idol!

"Good old Nick gave you an ultimatum, did he?" Peter shook his head affirmatively.

"Will you take him in or not?" Nick asked, exasperatedly.

"How old are you anyways?" Tony inquired, ignoring Fury completely which seemed to bother the man even more.

"16."

"A bit young to be in this business, aren't you?" Concern lurked in Tony's eyes for a brief second and then vanished just as quickly as it had come.

"It's a long story." Peter said, hoping that Tony wouldn't press him for more information.

"Stark—" Fury tried again, his tone dangerous.

"Fine," Tony answered nonchalantly. He shot a grin to Peter. "Welcome to the team, Spider-Man."

"Cool." Peter whispered because he had made the team! He was an Avenger!

"Finally," Fury muttered, under his breath. "Then, I'll check in on you later, Peter." With that, Fury promptly exited the building.

"JARVIS?" Tony called.

"_Yes, sir?"_

"Next time Fury shows up, don't let him in."

"_I'm afraid that goes against my programming, sir."_

"Well, just lock all the doors or something!"

_"Sir, Miss Potts has instructed me to—"_

"You know what? Remind me to reprogram you later, okay?" Tony said with a sigh.

_"Very well, sir." _Peter suppressed a laugh. It was almost as if JARVIS had a sense of humor.

"So," Tony began, turning to Peter. "Ready to meet the team?"

Peter somehow managed to nod his head as he followed the older man to the golden elevator.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__I'm just getting started! Next chapter, I'll introduce the rest of the team. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review if you have a second! _


	2. Nice to Meet You

_**Author's Note: **__Thank you all for the nice comments about this story! So, without further ado, here's chapter 2!_

* * *

"_You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family."_

—_Trenton Lee Stewart_

* * *

It was becoming crystal clear to Peter that the Avengers weren't exactly the perfect team that they appeared to be on TV.

"I said no!" A voice bellowed and the teenager glanced at Tony who smirked slightly.

"I don't care!" A feminine voice challenged. "I told you last week that it was my turn—"

"The answer is still no!" The other voice hissed. Tony chuckled as he led Peter to what appeared to be a huge living room. Giant couches made of plush material surrounded what had to be the biggest TV in the existence of TV's. On the couch, he spotted the deadly assassin, Black Widow glaring daggers at her partner Hawkeye, who had a death grip on the remote.

"The two lovebirds are at it again," Tony announced and instantly the duo's eyes were focused on the newest arrival to Avengers Tower. "Peter Parker meet Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton."

"We're not lovebirds." Clint stated quickly—a bit too quickly, but Peter refused to let a smirk grace his lips. He could deduce whether the pair was actually dating after he survived meeting the team. Natasha shot Clint a glance that seemed to speak volumes and instantly, the archer was up on his feet and by her side as they shook hands with Peter.

"I'm Spider-Man," Peter informed them since he could spy the confusion still lingering in their eyes. "I'll be staying here for the next two months."

"Fury's orders." Tony added, noticing the duo's perplexed expression.

"I see," Natasha murmured, her gaze softening slightly. "How old are you?"

"16." Peter replied and Clint shook his head.

"Too young." He whispered.

"I know," She replied. Then, much to Peter's surprise, she smiled and it took him slightly off-guard. "Welcome to the team."

"T-thank you." He stuttered.

"Come on," Tony interjected, ushering him down a long corridor. "There's still more people for you to meet." Their steps echoed down the marble hallway, but Peter stole a glance at the duo behind him. Natasha had her hands on her hips now, almost as if she was warning Clint that she would hurt him if she had to. Facing forward, Peter chuckled dryly.

"Clint, hand me the remote!" Natasha's voice echoed behind him and Peter bit his tongue to prevent a comment from slipping out. Still, the whole matter left the teenager more than a little bit disillusioned and perplexed. The Avengers fought over who got to watch TV? How was that even possible? Couldn't they afford more than one TV here?

"Right in here." Tony told him, quickly pushing him into a secluded room. Various workbenches littered the space, each covered with numerous pieces of equipment—wrenches, computers, small motors, and even some parts that Peter didn't recognize.

"Wow." He breathed.

"We have three labs here," The older man boasted to him. "This one is Bruce's."

"Bruce's—?"

"That would be me," A soft voice interjected from the side and Peter's eyes instantly locked on the man that stood awkwardly before him. He was a bit disheveled, hair messy, sleeves rolled up and arms spotted with grease and oil. "Bruce Banner." He extended his hand and Peter shook it.

"Peter Parker," The teen replied. "I'm Spider-Man."

"The Hulk." Came Bruce's reply.

"Really?" Peter echoed, confusion evident on his face. This man didn't look like the Hulk—nowhere close to it, in fact. How could that be?

"Long story." Bruce muttered, clearly not willing to discuss it.

"Peter will be with us for the next two months." Tony explained and Bruce nodded his head.

"Welcome then." He whispered softly before disappearing into a different part of the lab. Puzzled, Peter wondered if he had done something wrong to cause the man to practically flee the scene. Maybe he was naturally like that? Still, how was that man the Hulk? Sighing, the teenager glanced around the lab and froze suddenly when his eyes spotted the piece of equipment.

"Is that a molecular stabilizer?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes," Tony answered and then he shot Peter an odd look. "You into science?"

"I love science," Peter breathed as he approached the machine. "This is so amazing. I could use this to help my web shooters—"

"Wait," Tony interrupted. "You made those?"

"Yeah."

"Your 16 year old brain came up with those?"

"Yes." Peter answered, a bit offended.

"As soon as you get a free moment, we are going to my lab and you're going to show me." Tony's tone left no room for argument and Peter simply nodded. "Okay, only guy left is Cap." Peter swallowed nervously. Captain America was a national hero—he was the man that everyone aspired to be! What if Cap didn't like him?

Silently, they boarded the elevator and went down two floors. When they re-emerged, they were in what was a huge gym. Various workout machines and pieces of equipment were strewn everywhere and in the center of the room was a huge training ring. Captain America was in the middle of the ring practicing what appeared to be dodging rolls. Nervously, Peter held his breath and waited.

"Cap?" Tony called and slowly, ever so slowly, Steve Rodgers spun around and met Peter's gaze. "Meet Spider-Man. Fury assigned him to us." Steve jumped out of the ring and walked over to the duo. Smiling softly, he shook Peter's hand.

"Steve Rodgers."

"Peter Parker."

"Nice to meet you, Parker." Peter tried to not let his mouth fall open in shock. Captain America was talking to him!

"You too."

Suddenly, an alarm went off and red-flashing lights filled the room.

"Looks like they're playing our song." Tony remarked.

"Ready for your first mission?" Steve questioned.

"Yeah." Peter lied.

"Good, cause you're up."

And with that, Peter quickly followed the others and suited up. It was time for his first mission as an Avenger.

* * *

_** Author's Note: **__This chapter was such a pain to write, but necessary. Tomorrow, I will post chapter 3 where we will get to see the team in action! How will Peter fare on his first mission? Please review! _


	3. Surprise Attack

_**Author's Note: **__As promised, here is chapter 3! Please enjoy!_

* * *

"_Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say." _

—_Rick Riordan_

* * *

It was definitely different fighting crime as part of a team.

_"Spider-Man,"_ Natasha's voice filled his ear on his comn-link. Peter swung high into the air and allowed himself to relish the feeling of swinging through the air. It was this that made being a superhero in high school worthwhile—this freedom; this amazing feeling of being able to soar through the sky like it was nothing. _"You see anything?"_ The teenager scanned the city streets below, but was unable to find the cause of the disturbance that had sent the team out.

"Nothing besides cars and people," He replied, shooting another web forward. "Maybe the alarm malfunctioned?"

"Not possible!" Iron Man was suddenly flying beside him and Peter almost forgot to catch his next piece of webbing in shock. He was definitely going to need some time to get used to this—that he was now part of Earth's mightiest heroes. "My tech functions perfectly."

_"Something caused the alarm to go off," _Cap's commanding voice said. _"We should keep looking—just in case. Iron Man head left, Spider-Man, take right." _

"Yeah." Tony flew off and Peter nodded his head.

"You got it, Cap." He changed course and he smirked a little as a few girls exclaimed as he passed above them. It was out of the corner of his eye that he saw it—flashing blue that seemed to be forming a perfect circle on one of the rooftops. Immediately, he swung over to it. "Guys, I've—"

Lightning struck the ground and Peter yelped in surprise. More bolts rained down from the heavens and the next thing he knew, a man stood in the middle of the circle. Peter cautiously stepped towards him, recognizing him from somewhere, but unable to place it.

"Am I on Midgard?" The man's voice boomed as he spun his hammer in his hand.

"Mid-what? Peter echoed.

_"Is that Thor?" _Clint's voice asked.

"Who?" Peter questioned.

"Answer quickly, mortal," The man—Thor?—inquired once more. "I have business to—"

"Thor!" Tony exclaimed as he landed on the building beside Peter. Instantly, the man grinned and rushed over to Iron Man.

"I have returned!" Thor shouted, though Peter was realizing quickly that this wasn't unusual for him. The guy seemed to have quite the booming voice. "Who is this young mortal?"

"Spider-Man," Peter told him, extending his hand. He received a tight hug instead, which took him by surprise. "Um, nice to meet you?"

"He's the newest Avenger," Tony explained to which Thor nodded once he released the teenager. "So, you coming must've set off the alarms."

"There is trouble?" Thor's demeanor suddenly shifted from carefree to on edge.

"No, I don't think—"

The familiar sensation of unease pricked the back of Peter's neck. Anxiously, he glanced around and spotted the ball of energy hurtling directly at Iron Man. Quickly, Peter webbed him and used all of his strength to pull him out of the way.

"Woah!" Tony shouted. "Nice save, kid."

_"What the hell was that?" _Clint growled.

_"No idea," _Steve mumbled. _"Peter, Tony, stay put, we're coming to you." _Peter's eyes widened as more energy balls hurtled towards them.

"Might be easier said than done, Cap!" Tony informed him, shooting the balls with some of his weapons, dissipating their energy. Thor took his hammer and swung at the energy balls, much like a baseball does at a game. Before Peter knew it, Natasha, Clint, and Steve were suddenly on the rooftop beside him.

And suddenly, the energy balls had vanished.

"Well, that's not foreboding or anything." Tony remarked.

"Bruce, you got anything on the computers?" Steve asked, as Bruce had remained back at the tower. As he had explained it to Peter, the Hulk was always a last response.

_"Whatever it was, just vanished." _He replied.

"So, what do we do—?" Clint began to ask when Peter's spider-sense hit again. Furiously glancing around, he tried to see what it was that was making him so worried.

"Bomb." Peter breathed and immediately all the Avengers' gazes were on the inconspicuous black box that was now beeping furiously. Without thinking, Peter webbed it and quickly spun it around with his webbing.

"What the hell are you doing?" Natasha snapped, but Peter didn't answer. He hadn't had to do this before, but in theory it was supposed to work. Then again, in theory, he should've probably died from that spider bite. The beeping increased in noise until Peter finally released the line of webbing. The box flew straight up and not five seconds later, it exploded, debris raining down on the team.

"Anything else going to try and kill us today?" Tony murmured and the team tensed up, waiting to see if there were any more tricks in store for them. The team waited, but nothing more occurred.

"This was not the homecoming that I had anticipated." Thor informed the group and Clint smirked slightly and the comment seemed to drain the tension out of the group.

"Back to the tower," Steve ordered. "Now."

They all did as they were told, yet, Peter couldn't help but wonder why whoever had tried to attack them had suddenly just stopped. Still, he was an Avenger now. He could handle whatever was out there.

It would all be okay.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__And Thor is here! Yay! Next chapter, we'll get some bonding fluff as well as more information on who attacked the Avengers. Please review if you have a chance! _


	4. Movie Night

_**Author's Note: **__I am so sorry for the long delay! Real life has been insanely busy recently and now I finally have time to sit and write. Anyways, please welcome Gwen Stacy to the story and please enjoy!_

* * *

_"Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know."_

_—Mitch Albom_

* * *

After a long debriefing by Cap—which basically consisted of alternately welcoming Thor back and then trying to figure what the heck had attacked them—the team was released for the night.

"Come, my friends," Thor boomed and Peter idly wondered how he hadn't become deaf by now. "All is well both here and on Asgard! For that, we must celebrate!" Peter eyed him oddly. Was this guy for real?

Silence fell over the rest of the team. Finally, Tony met the god's gaze.

"How is your brother?" Tony questioned quietly and instantly the temperature in the room seemed to decrease exponentially. Images of another god filled his mind—Loki had been his name?—as he recalled the attacks that had taken place before he had gotten his powers. He and his aunt and uncle had been out of town luckily, but returning home to find Manhattan practically rubble had been more than a bit disconcerting.

"Loki is awaiting the All-Father's judgment," Thor replied, voice dipping in sadness. "He sits in a cell with his magic bound."

"Good." Tony muttered.

"What he did was wrong—" Thor began.

"Understatement of the year." The archer interjected, eyes flashing darkly with some bitter resentment in them.

"Yet he is still my brother," The God of Thunder completed, pounding on the stainless steel table, denting it in the process. "And I still hope he might learn from this and return to the way he was." Clint opened his mouth to speak once more, but Natasha quickly pulled him back and murmured something in his ear that seemed to calm him. He nodded his head before heading out of the room with Natasha following quickly behind him.

"That went well." Steve mumbled, though there was still an air of tension hanging over the group—tension that made Peter feel extremely out of place. The Avengers weren't the perfect team that they appeared to be to the public. They were flawed and had problems of their own. It was a revelation that was both comforting and frightening to the teenager.

"Let me show you to your floor, Peter." Tony was suddenly beside him, guiding him towards the elevator.

"Floor?" The young hero echoed. He had barely had his own room while he had lived with his aunt and uncle. Now, he was getting a whole floor to himself? _It must be nice to be rich_, he mused. The elevator dinged and they got off at the 55th floor. It was plain with white walls and numerous door and he followed the billionaire to the first door on the left. It led into a huge master bedroom, plainly decorated with white sheets and a huge window that let him see the city skyline.

"You can decorate it however you want." Tony explained. "Tomorrow, you feel up to showing me how those," He gestured to the web shooters. "Work?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Great." He was rewarded with an easy smile. "Oh, almost forgot." He handed Peter a small package. Seeing the teen's confusion, he smirked slightly. "Open it." Inside the package was a shiny, blue phone—a Stark phone, the most technologically advanced phone on the market. Peter had wanted one for his birthday, but they were extremely expensive and he had practically given up on his hopes of getting one.

"Mr. Stark, I—"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on there, 'Mr. Stark'?" Tony makes a disgusted face, one that Peter almost chuckled at. "Kid, call me Tony okay? Mr. Stark reminds me too much of my dad." Sadness filled his eyes for the briefest of seconds and then it was gone.

"Thank you, Tony." He told the older man, grinning ear from ear.

"Yeah, well," The inventor shifted uncomfortably, unused to having someone look up to him like that. "Just don't break it."

With that, Tony Stark fled the room, leaving a bewildered teenager behind.

* * *

_"Peter," _Peter beamed as Gwen's voice filled the line. _"I was hoping you'd call." _

"Missed me?" He teased.

_"No," _She playfully shot back and Peter could just picture her looking out her window, twirling a strand of her blonde hair, grinning softly. _"I was worried with your aunt . . . she's doing okay, right?" _

"Yeah, yeah," He assured her, running a hand through his hair. "She has to stay in the hospital for the next two months though—"

_"Two months!" _Gwen exclaimed. _"You're staying by yourself for two months?" _

"Well, not alone—" He amended.

_"I don't understand."_

"Gwen, I . . ." His voice trailed off into uncertainty. Should he tell Gwen where he was? Was he even allowed to? With Nick Fury watching his every move, who knew what he could be getting her involved with!

_"Where are you, Peter?" _Her voice was soft and soothing. Instantly, his mind was made up.

"Avengers Tower."

A pause.

_"Did you just say Avengers Tower?" _She echoed.

"Yeah, I did." He told her with a small smirk, wishing he could see her face right now.

_"So, that means that—"_

"Spider-Man is now an Avenger." He completed proudly.

_"But how did you—?" _He could hear the elevator ding and the footsteps of someone outside the hall.

"I'll tell you at school tomorrow." He told her quickly.

_"But Peter—_"

"I've got to go," He said. "See you tomorrow." With that he hung up and waited for whoever was outside to reveal their self. A minute later, there was a soft rapping on his door. Cautiously, he opened the door to see Natasha standing before him, dressed in a short-sleeved black top and some sweat pants.

"Sorry to bother you," She said with a small, easy smile on her lips. "But we're doing a movie night upstairs if your interested."

"Movie night?" He reiterated, unsure if he had heard her right. The Avengers did movie nights?

"Yeah," Natasha replied. "Tonight, Thor gets to pick, but since he's never seen any movies here, it's pretty much a free-for-all." She chuckled dryly and Peter wondered if the deadly assassin had been present for such events before. "You in?"

"Yeah, sure." He found himself saying before he could even process it.

* * *

In the end, Thor didn't choose the movie.

He was too busy eating pop tarts—he was apparently obsessed with those "tarts of deliciousness" that Tony kept in the kitchen—to actually pick a movie, which left the rest of the team debating what to watch. Tony wanted to watch Sci-Fi, something that Clint and Natasha both hated with a passion. The duo had demanded to watch a spy movie—which, wasn't a surprise if you asked Peter—but Bruce said the last thing they needed to do was watch something like that. The scientist had proposed a comedy, something that Steve had agreed.

"We need something to laugh at." Steve told the group and Peter sensed that being an Avenger wasn't exactly all that he had pictured. The group had their struggles and they definitely had their secrets. Still . . . it felt nice to be a part of something. For as long as he remembered, Peter had always been the outcast—the geek that no one understood, the boy whose parents had abandoned him, the guy who was secretly a super hero—and now, he wasn't so different.

"What do you think, Peter?" Bruce had asked, exasperatedly. Instantly, all eyes were on him, waiting for an answer.

"I think . . ." His voice wavered, because this whole situation was one that he had never pictured himself in. "I think a comedy would be good."

And that's how Peter found himself watching comedies with the team until midnight.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__Next chapter, Peter goes to school! There will also be more bonding with the rest of the team. Please review if you have a moment! _


	5. Fight!

_**Author's Note: **__Hi there! Sorry for the long break in-between chapters. Real life got busy. Anyways, I'm back and thank you all so much for all the kind reviews/faves/follows/etc. It really means so much to me! So, without further ado, here is the next chapter! Please enjoy!_

* * *

"_Family is more than blood."_

—_Cassandra Clare_

* * *

Leaving for school was more than surreal.

After getting on the elevator and heading down to where Tony had told him the kitchen was, he found Thor staring at the toaster with an angry glare. Cautiously, Peter stepped towards him, unsure why he was getting involved in this, but feeling the need to help the God of Thunder.

"Thor?" The Asgardian faced the teenager. "Something wrong?"

"I cannot get this blasted device to function," He hissed. "Truly, why you Midgardians bother with such infernal things—" Nodding politely while Thor ranted, Peter stepped forward and pushed down the lever of the toaster. The two pop tarts went in and immediately, the light flickered on. Adjusting the cooking settings, Peter faced Thor once more.

"There you go. They'll be done in a minute." The God just stared at him with wide eyes and Peter ducked his head, embarrassed by the attention. Heading to the huge fridge—Aunt May would've killed for one of these—he opened it and glanced inside, wondering whether it was okay for him to take something for lunch. Protein shakes were neatly stacked on one shelf, various sandwiches were in clear bags on another—there was tons of food, yet Peter was unsure whether it would be all right for him to grab something. Normally, he would make something, but he had woken up late and he still needed to figure out how to get to school from Avengers Tower.

"Morning," Natasha greeted, dressed in workout clothes. Her hand shot into the fridge and pulled out a shake. "You look lost, Peter. Need some help?" Peter chuckled dryly and shook his head.

"I was just looking for something for lunch—" The super spy nodded and she reached into the fridge once more, pulling out a ham sandwich. She placed it on the marble countertop and pulled a drawer out, grabbing a brown paper bag. Placing the sandwich in, she also tossed in a candy bar and a water bottle. Smiling softly at him, she handed him the bag.

"There you go."

"Thanks." He told her sincerely. She ruffled his hair affectionately and smirked.

"You'll get used to it, Peter."

And with that, she vanished into the other room.

* * *

"And so, looking at this chemical reaction, we can figure out that—" The bell rang and nearly all the students in AP Chemistry grinned. Mr. Hanson adjusted his tie nervously. He was an older man and while he knew chemistry like the back of his hand, he wasn't the best people person. "Ah, yes, okay, see you tomorrow!" Most of the students had already fled the classroom and Peter was just stuffing his book into his backpack and when his teacher walked over to him. "Mr. Parker?"

"Yes?" Mr. Hanson placed a paper down before him and Peter's mouth nearly fell open. It was the results of his AP practice test, the one they had taken at the beginning of the month to see how they were coming along. Nearly all the students had failed—which was to be expected as the class had just started a few weeks ago—but there was a 5 circled on Peter's paper.

"You truly are gifted, Mr. Parker," His teacher praised. "You were the only 5 in the class. It's amazing. Tell me, do you plan to go into science as a career?"

"Uh, yeah, ideally." Though he wasn't sure that would work out considering he was a superhero part-time. Could superheroes go to college? He'd have to look into it.

"Wonderful!" Mr. Hanson exclaimed. "Truly, you're so gifted. It would be a shame for you're to waste your talents." A warning bell rang and Peter quickly nodded his thanks before darting out the door.

He crashed into Flash Thomson.

"Watch where you're going, Parker!" The jock exclaimed as he pushed Peter away from him. Then, he glanced down and noticed the exam. "Well, you probably think you're so smart, don't you?"

"If the shoe fits—" Peter mumbled, only for him to be picked up and slammed into a row of lockers.

"You know what you're problem is Parker?" Flash began, fist curling back. "You just think you're better than everyone—!"

"Mr. Thompson!" Mr. Hanson shouted, standing in the doorway of his classroom. "Principal's office. Now!"

"This isn't over." Flash growled before releasing Peter and walking down the hall with Mr. Hanson. Peter sighed. He could take Flash any day, anytime, but only if he used his powers. And, of course, he would never use his powers because that would be wrong and go against all that his uncle had taught him.

Still, to see the shock on that bully's face—

The bell rang and Peter cursed.

He was late.

* * *

"I just can't believe it," Gwen whispered as the two of them sat on the bleachers. "I mean, Peter you're an Avenger!"

"Just for two months," He interjected. "Just until Aunt May gets out of the hospital."

"I know that," His girlfriend replied. "Still, the Avengers! What are they like?" She faced him now, blonde hair blocking her sparkling eyes. Chuckling, Peter gently moved a few strands back and she learned forward. They kissed gently and then she playfully pushed him back. "C'mon, Peter, tell me!" He smirked and then sighed softly.

"Well, they're a lot like normal people, you know?" Gwen nodded eagerly. "I mean, they live in a huge tower and everything, but they do movie nights and fight over what movie to watch."

"Really?" Gwen asked, shock coloring her tone.

"Yeah."

"I can't believe it," She muttered for seemingly the thousandth time. "My boyfriend is an Avenger."

"Hey," He caught her hand within his own and held it. "Thought you liked me before that."

"Of course I did," She assured him with a dazzling grin. "But gotta tell you, the whole superhero thing? It's kind of sexy." He chuckled and moved to kiss her again when a football came flying towards them. Instantly, he pushed Gwen back and caught the ball. Flash stood below them on the field, glaring at Peter.

"You could've hurt someone, Flash!" Peter shouted, though it was clear that the jock didn't care.

"You're mine, Parker!" Flash growled and then stalked off the field with his fellow teammates right as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"Be careful." Gwen told Peter as he walked her to her class.

"I'll be fine." He assured her, pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

"See you after school." He nodded his head and made his way to his own class.

* * *

It's as he was waiting for Gwen outside of class that it happened, his spider-sense went off and he barely managed to dodge Flash's punch. He faced the star jock and noticed the members of the basketball team have surrounded him. It's 30 versus 1—not very good odds even with his powers.

"Got me detention for a week, Parker," Flash hissed, stepping close to him. "I'm going to make you pay."

"Not very smart though," Peter retorted. "You're just going to get in more trouble."

"Newsflash, Parker," Flash replied, cracking his knuckles while his buddies chuckled. "School is over."

And with that, he threw the first punch.

* * *

"Peter? God, Peter, can you hear me?" He came to in Gwen's arms. She held him tightly, her eyes filled with tears. "Hey, don't move, okay? You got beaten up pretty badly." She lifted her head up to say something to someone else, but Peter can't make out the words. It's like someone messed with the audio—her voice sped up for a few seconds before slowing down.

"Gwen?" He slurred. His head felt like it was full of cement and his body ached.

"Shh, it's okay," She cooed, plastering a smile on her face. "Just relax. An ambulance is on its way."

"No," He protested, pushing himself up. "I'm okay."

"Peter—!" She began to protest, but he forced himself to stand and while he swayed a bit, it wasn't the worst injury he had ever sustained.

"I'm okay, Gwen." He glanced around and saw a small crowd had formed and Mr. Hanson sighed with relief and said something into his cellphone. Cancelling the ambulance? Peter hoped so because he refused to go to the hospital. His girlfriend helped steady him and then sighed with relief.

"You scared me, Peter. I came out here and you were just down and bleeding—"

"It was Flash." He explained.

"Flash?" She echoed. "You could've taken him—"

"And the rest of the basketball team." Peter added dryly and Gwen cursed.

"Tomorrow, we'll go to the Principal—"

"No." Peter interjected.

"But, Peter—!" Gwen exclaimed.

"It won't do any good," Her boyfriend explained rationally. "It'll just cause more problems." Gwen shook her head and it was clear that she disagreed with this decision, but didn't press it. "I should get back."

"Let me give you a ride—" She insisted and Peter waved her suggestion off.

"It's okay," He assured her. "I can make it." She looked at him skeptically. "Really, Gwen, it's not that far."

"Okay, but call me when you—" She folded her arms across her chest and he smiled at her. Pressing a quick kiss onto her cheek, he began to head in the direction of the tower.

"I promise!" He shouted.

* * *

"What the hell happened to you?" Tony exclaimed as Peter stepped off the elevator. Whatever he had been fiddling with currently forgotten, he rose from his seat and crossed the room to where the teenager stood. "Sit down." He pushed Peter down into a chair and then examined his injuries with a careful eye. "Jesus," He swore softly. "Jarvis!"

"_Yes, sir?" _

"Get Banner up here!" Tony bellowed, eyes still focused on all the bruises covering Peter's face and the sluggish cut he had sustained above his eyebrow.

"No," Peter interjected. "I'm fine, really, it's just a few bruises—"

"Now, Jarvis!"

_"Right away, sir." _

"What are you shouting about this time, Stark?" Clint mumbled as he entered the room, Natasha by his side. "I mean, can't you just—?" His eyes met Peter's gaze and instantly, he froze.

"Peter?" Natasha questioned as she quickly rushed to his side. "What happened?"

"I'm fine!" Peter shouted, exasperated. "Really, it was just a small fight—"

"Fight?" Clint echoed. "Some idiot attacked you?"

"Who?" Natasha pressed, voice deadly. The elevator doors dinged and Bruce stepped out into the main hall.

"Jarvis said you needed—" He stared at Peter for a few moments before taking a calming breath in. "Let me see you."

* * *

He ended up lucky—a bruised rib, numerous bruises and only one cut that needed stiches. It wasn't the worst injury he had gotten in a fight—he had been shot once and that had been the worst pain he had ever endured—but the team was acting much like Gwen. The teenager didn't understand why they were making such a big deal out of this. People got beaten up everyday and Peter had been on the receiving end of such beatings for many years. Yes, he had powers and could now fight back, but that wasn't the right thing to do. Uncle Ben had told him he had responsibilities that came with his powers and he certainly wouldn't be proud of Peter using his powers to get revenge. So, what was he supposed to do? Fight back? That wouldn't solve anything.

"Peter?" Steve stood in his doorway, expression guarded.

"Hey."

"Mind if I come in?" Peter nodded and Steve entered the room and glanced at Peter.

"It's not that bad." The teenager insisted.

"That's not what the others said." Steve replied calmly.

"I've had worse." Peter retorted and Steve nodded his head. Silence passed and Peter sat down on his bed, unsure what he was supposed to do.

"You know," Cap began conversationally. "I really hate bullies. And I used to be like you, before I became like this," He gestured to himself. "But the thing that I don't understand is why you didn't fight back."

"I did once," Peter informed him. "And I disappointed someone close to me. I swore I'd never do it again."

"Listen, you're part of a team now," Steve said. "And every member of a team affects the other—"

"I know," Peter interjected. "And I'm sorry that I got hurt. I know I can't help like this—"

"That's not what I'm getting at all," Cap interrupted, a small smile on his lips. "I just want you to know that we're here for you." He placed a strong hand on Peter's shoulder. "Don't feel like you're alone in this."

"Thanks."

"And if you ever need help or need to talk . . ." His voice trailed off and Peter chuckled dryly. "Okay."

_"Sirs, Mr. Stark asked me to invite you to the kitchen. Apparently, he is attempting to make milkshakes once more and wanted to know if you wanted one." _

"Attempting?" Peter echoed.

"Come on," Steve began, a small smirk on his lips. "You'll want to see this."

That was the first night that Peter realized he wasn't alone in this fight. He was part of a team now and he had people he could count upon.

He wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__There you go! That's a super long chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! The family bonding stuff will continue in later chapters, but it was nice to write a bit of it in this chapter. Please review if you have a second! _


	6. Life Goes On

_** Author's Note: **__It has been too long since I updated this story. Sorry for the long wait! Thanks for all the kind reviews and favorites and follows! I'm blown away by how many people are reading this. Please enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

"_We are a noisy and blessed little family."_

—_Nancy E. Turner_

* * *

There were many things that Tony Stark could do.

Making milkshakes was apparently not one of them. By the time Steve and Peter arrived in the kitchen, the whole counter was littered with clumps of vanilla ice cream and milk. With a little wave, Tony smirked as the duo entered the kitchen.

"Oh, hey," Tony greeted. "Want a milkshake?" He didn't wait for a response before he pressed the lid down on the machine and then hit the button.

"Wait, you have to—!" Peter began to warn, but it was too late. The lid went flying away since the genius inventor had forgotten to hold onto it and soon the milkshakes were soon covering Tony's face and the ceiling. Without missing a beat, Tony wiped his eyes and Peter sprung into action. Webbing the lever, he turned the machine off.

"Thanks," The billionaire replied. "But I had that covered."

"Sure, you did," Steve replied, chuckling slightly. "Just like you had it covered the last time?"

"Hey, I modified this machine so it should—"

"Blow up in a more spectacular fashion?" A feminine voice inquired and Peter turned around to see Pepper Potts standing behind him. She sighed as she met Tony's gaze and then smiled softly upon seeing Peter. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Pepper Potts." She offered her hand and Peter shook it.

"Peter Parker."

"I hope you'll forgive Tony's general stupidity—" She spoke wearily and the teenager wondered just how many times Pepper had walked in on this and seen something like this.

"Hey!" Her boyfriend interjected with a huff of indignation. "This is not the worst thing you've caught me doing."

"No," She allowed, a small grin alighting her face. "Just make sure you clean up after yourself." With a small nod of her head, she excused herself from the kitchen, her high heels clicking in the hallway. Tony grinned and Peter huffed out a laugh. Despite his reputation as a ladies' man, the former playboy clearly had found his match in Pepper Potts. Then, as if he hadn't realized he let the walls down, he met Peter's gaze.

"Hey, Parker?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't suppose you want to help me, do you?"

Peter just laughed.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Gwen asked the next day at school, concern gracing her features. She had already given him a once over and Peter had given in, understanding the fear that came with not knowing if your loved one was okay and needing to see how bad the damage was for yourself. Hell, he still worried about Aunt May's condition, even though Tony received phone calls from the hospital on a daily basis to get an update on how she was doing.

"I'm alright." He told her with a grin, snagging her hand and pulling her towards him. She pushed herself closer to him and he easily slung an arm around her shoulder. Together, they walked into school and into a bit of a surprise. The hallway was decorated with screenshots of the fight from yesterday. All of the photos had been edited so that Peter was no longer in them or was obscured, but Flash was clearly visible in each and every one of them.

"What the hell?" Gwen murmured and Peter nodded his head in agreement. He stepped closer to inspect one of the photos. It looked like a prank, but the young superhero knew better. The fight had taken place outside of school hours, so the cameras had to have been shut off. Someone had hacked in, pulled up the images, printed them, and posted them—all without alerting school authorities. That sounded like something the Avengers would do—

But no, he had just joined. They wouldn't do something like that! They barely knew him and vice versa. This is had to be something else—

"Parker!" Flash bellowed and the angry basketball star came barreling towards the teenager. Instinctively, Peter pushed Gwen back, but she wouldn't stand for it and she intercepted him. Meeting his gaze, she glared at him.

"How does it feel to know that everyone finally understands who you truly are, Flash?" Her voice was venomous and Peter smiled softly, oddly proud at how Gwen had the confidence to stand up to someone that could ruin her reputation at the school if he so desired.

"Get out of my way, Gwen." Flash hissed, eyes darting from her face to Peter's and then back again.

"Make me." She growled.

The bell rung, cutting off all conversation and Flash stormed off, ripping some of the posters off the lockers as he did so. Peter grinned and kissed the top of Gwen's head.

Hand in hand, they walked to class.

* * *

It was in the middle of AP Chemistry—a class that he really didn't need to pay attention to anyways—that he got the text. After a few minutes of fiddling with his new phone, he managed to open the message and saw it was from Tony.

_Hope you liked our welcome gift. If you need anything else, let us know. _

Peter grinned and pocketed the phone.

He had never been a part of something like this—no one, besides Gwen, had ever really gone out of their way to help him before. He was unsure of how to express his gratitude. Uncle Ben would know what to do and with a pang of sadness, Peter sighed. With each day that passed, the grief became less sharp, but the pain still flared up.

He wondered if it would ever go away.

"Mr. Parker?" Mr. Hanson shot him a confused look from the whiteboard and Peter instantly sat up, more alert. "You alright?"

"Yes," He replied quickly. "I'm good."

And for the first time since Ben's death, he felt like he really was.

* * *

"So, this Lady Gwen—" Thor began.

"Her name is just Gwen." Peter shot back, slightly exasperated as he finished up the last bit of his homework. The God of Thunder had been asking him questions for the past 20 minutes and while the teenager liked to think he was a patient person, his temper was starting to get the best of him. Not that he could fault Thor though—the guy was new to this planet and would, of course, have a lot of questions—but he had things to do and he wanted to call Aunt May tonight before visiting hours ended.

"She knows of your true identity?"

"Yeah." He quickly jotted down a "2" to balance his last equation. Pleased, he grinned.

"And you fear not for her safety?" The pencil fell from his hand. The question startled him because he hadn't really thought about it. Yes, he had broken up to keep Gwen safe, but in truth, he believed that her knowing would help her in the long run. She would be more informed of the threats and she would have a better chance to stay out of trouble. Yes, there was the nagging fear that some bad guy would find her, steal her and use her to get to him, but he wasn't strong enough to be without her.

She was what he fought to protect.

"Gwen can take care of herself," He muttered dryly, chuckling as the image of her going up against Flash filled his mind. "She's pretty brave."

"As is Jane," Thor replied quietly and Peter met his gaze, head tilted to the side in confusion. "She is . . . well, she is a scientist and she is beautiful, but smart as well!"

"Where is she then?" Thor's face darkened slightly.

"I have . . . I have not visited her yet."

"Well, why not?" The question seemed to take Thor off-guard.

"I fear for her safety." The teenager nodded his head. He had heard from Tony about Thor's first adventure here—about how he had to break the bridge that allowed travel from Asgard to other worlds—but he had never heard about the woman that the God of Thunder had fallen for.

Then again, talking about love seemed to be taboo here, almost like just speaking about it could cause it to fall apart.

"Dude, believe me," Peter informed the God. "If you don't see her, she's going to be pissed. You better see her soon. The longer you wait, the angrier she'll be."

"But I don't wish—" The young hero tucked his homework into his folder and then placed that into his backpack.

"Just see her Thor, okay?" The God of Thunder beamed and with a hearty laugh, smacked Peter on the back. The teen almost fell over from the force of it.

"I thank you, young Parker," He informed Peter. "This has been most helpful. I shall make arrangements to see her soon then."

"Good."

With that, Thor practically flew out the door and Peter just chuckled.

"My life is weird." With a shake of his head, he headed towards his room, ready to call his aunt.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__So, there you go! Updates from now on will be more frequent. Next chapter, the team invites Gwen over for dinner and nothing goes according to plan. Please review if you have a second! _


End file.
